Chain Restaurants (Split from the "Ought to Know" Thread) - Page 4 - Calgarypuck Forums - The Unofficial Calgary Flames Fan Community

Table 5 · 08-07-2007, 01:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by REDVAN

What was the Freedom Fries thing all about?

A few years ago, when France decided not to support the U.S in the war against Iraq, several U.S politicians started a push to rename any word that contained France/French to Freedom. Therefore suddently you had Freedom Fries, Freedom Toast etc.

Almost everyone though it was absolutely ridiculous. Some people though, including the owner of Nellies, thought it was a worthy cause, and complied.

photon · 08-07-2007, 01:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Burninator

The only good thing there is the tropical chicken pizza.

Actually I like their Thai Chicken Pizza! And I do like the sauce they use on their pizzas, but they are super expensive.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fozzie_DeBear

Not sure that this counts as a 'chain' but I have always been impressed with Original Joe's food/prices

Yeah we go there for lunch from work often enough. Pretty good value there, and everything I've tried has been good at worst and excellent at best.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Azure

Usually I go to Swiss Chalet though. What does everyone think of them?

Heh, only place you can order out ribs from in town!

Burninator · 08-07-2007, 01:08 PM

I am surprised a place like Nellies called them Freedom Fries. Considering the crowd I see there and the people working there I would have placed them well on the left side of the spectrum.

Knut · 08-07-2007, 01:19 PM

I think it is dumb to not go to a place because of the name of their fries.... If you like the food, go there. Do the fries taste any different because of their name?? Is the money you are paying them directly funding GW Bush's anti- france stance ? And how do you know that the "freedom-fries" name wasnt tongue-in-cheek ?

THe Belmont in Marda Loop isnt a chain... but it has a great Breakfast burrito.... just gotta expect to wait a bit.

BTW... Nellies on 90th seldom has a lineup... and if you live in the south it is a way better option than Ricky's, Dennys or humptys if you want a good breakfast.

Thunderball · 08-07-2007, 01:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cowboy89

I thought the factory was priced pretty good. I remember eating a huge plate of pasta there for something like $7 including the salad no more than a year ago. Has the price or amount of food changed that dramatically? At Earl's the cheapest thing on the menu is something like a sandwich or burger at over $10. Also most main entree's are at least $15-20 there too. I didn't think the Factory was in that range.

Their entrees are around $15. Then again, that was at the Banff location, so there could have been some tourist markup.

ernie · 08-07-2007, 01:26 PM

Personally my favourite chain restaurant is Cora's Breakfast and Lunch which I believe has now managed to recently find it's way to Calgary from it's Quebec beginnings.

Not sure of the Calgary restaurant but I've been to several in the Maritimes and they tend to be consistent. Good serving sizes and mountains of fresh fruit.

sclitheroe · 08-07-2007, 02:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Burninator

I use to work at BP's a couple years ago making pizza and it was definitely not frozen. The waitress must have been confused, or that particular restaurant ran things very differently. It wouldn't make any sense to pre-make pizza's. The storage for all the different pizza's in the different sizes would be damn near impossible, and a good portion of the pizza's have different requests for ingredients by the customers. If someone ordered a certain pizza without ham for example, it would be impossible to serve a frozen one as the ham is on the bottom.

That's what you think...the toppings are seperate from the bread when they are frozen, we put them together kinda like a sandwich just before popping them in the oven. Custom pizza's use only the frozen bread; it's only 15% of total orders in general that are custom, so we don't have to keep as much fresh ingredient in stock.

Burninator · 08-07-2007, 03:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sclitheroe

That's what you think...the toppings are seperate from the bread when they are frozen, we put them together kinda like a sandwich just before popping them in the oven. Custom pizza's use only the frozen bread; it's only 15% of total orders in general that are custom, so we don't have to keep as much fresh ingredient in stock.

And you work at Boston Pizza?

KevanGuy · 08-07-2007, 03:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hesla

BTW... Nellies on 90th seldom has a lineup... and if you live in the south it is a way better option than Ricky's, Dennys or humptys if you want a good breakfast.

Where is that? By the Point and Feather?

Knut · 08-07-2007, 03:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by KevanGuy

Where is that? By the Point and Feather?

yes.. same parking lot....

Kipper is King · 08-07-2007, 04:18 PM

My vote for best chain restaurant is Milestone's or Earl's. Tasty food, and in both places the service is generally good.

Boston Pizza is alright for a quick bite with friends.

But East Side Mario's is an atrocity. Horrible food/atmosphere.

RougeUnderoos · 08-07-2007, 04:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Table 5

A few years ago, when France decided not to support the U.S in the war against Iraq, several U.S politicians started a push to rename any word that contained France/French to Freedom. Therefore suddently you had Freedom Fries, Freedom Toast etc.

Almost everyone though it was absolutely ridiculous. Some people though, including the owner of Nellies, thought it was a worthy cause, and complied.

It was ridiculous. Embarrassing, really, and I'm not even an American and I didn't agree with it at the time. Looking back though, jesus, I can't believe this issue got so much play. They were preparing to go to war for crying out loud, and politicians were talking about this? No wonder so many people don't vote.

As for chains, Original Joe's is good. Good food, decent prices, no pretensions of fanciness like Earl's and not a dump like the Ship.

Super-Rye · 08-07-2007, 05:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ford Prefect

She didn't sound like she was joking, and she had to go back to the kitchen to pick up her orders so I'd assume she knew how things ran there. She seemed pretty clear and serious about what she said. That was my final straw with BP at any rate. I haven't been back since ... overpaying for bad service and a frozen pizza fails to impress me. Their sports bar is not too bad, as MQ-S points out, but I'm done with their food side.

I doubt the pizza was frozen. With their variety of pizza's and toppings they'd have to make them fresh and then freeze it, but that would just ruin the dough and the pizza wouldn't rise. I'll ask my buddy about it, he works at BP's part time, but I don't think it makes any sense to cook it from frozen. Also lets be honest with ourselves, waitress' and hostess aren't usually the brightest girls in the world. When I worked at a bar I'd say for every girl who was smart and worth talking too, 5 were dumb as a post...man I got some storys about that!

Azure · 08-07-2007, 05:08 PM

Strange how not many people have a good opinion on ESM. Maybe it is just the one in Lethbridge. Because the service was great.

ricoFlame · 08-07-2007, 05:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Azure

I would say. Best place to eat in Lethbridge, IMO.

so many great places to eat in downtown lethbridge, and ric's grille too. eas side would rank like 20th.

ricoFlame · 08-07-2007, 05:14 PM

have you tried la bella note or coco pazzo (not chain's i know)? both have actual italian food and my god, the gnocci at pazzo...unreal

return to the red · 08-07-2007, 05:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Buff

While I think that BP's meals are ok. The two locations in Lethbridge offer the worst service of any restaurant I've ever seen.

you clearly haven't been to Mojo's on the west side then

Jagger · 08-07-2007, 05:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ernie

Would have to be significantly better than ANY other East Side Mario's to get such a glowing review.

Terrible place East Side Mario's.

The Red Deer ESM is a very good place to eat imo, and I've eaten at lot's of places. I've never had a bad meal there and the value is excellent. I guess it's all about opinions.

return to the red · 08-07-2007, 05:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Azure

Strange how not many people have a good opinion on ESM. Maybe it is just the one in Lethbridge. Because the service was great.

you must have been drinking

the-rasta-masta · 08-07-2007, 06:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by photon

Heh, only place you can order out ribs from in town!

Actually you can order out ribs from Earl's as well. Just promise to tip the server that took your To Go order at least 5%... they still have to tip out the kitchen that percentage, and we rarely get tipped for To Go orders. When you don't tip on a to go order, we actually would have been better of to not have taken your order at all.

Friggen To Go orders!